Revisioning Kenya: 8th August
A symposium featuring 12 visionaries drawn from Kenya and abroad, these thinkers will impart their ideas on how to address and repair the issues thrown up by the post-election violence. We firmly believe that Kenyans have the ability to repair the recent damage and aim to feed into the groundswell of effort already growing nationwide. To this end Slum TV will film the speeches of the symposium, which will be available on internet and through established DVD distributors. A Kwanini short story book will also be produced and circulated countrywide. The symposium will close with a sumptuous event where speakers and attendees mingle and network.
Invited Speakers
Ambassador Bethuel Kiplagat (Kenya): Africa Peace Forum and a co-convenor of Concerned Citizens for Peace
Dekha Ibrahim Abdi (Kenya): A co-convenor of Concerned Citizens for Peace who was also awarded the alternative peace prize
Kevit Desai (Kenya): Director of Engineering for Centurion Systems, Head of IEEE, member of Kepsa who organizes a large competion for university inventors each year and tries to find companies to produce the items commercially. His current focus is uses of ICT in rural areas.
John Kiarie (Kenya): Former Reddykulas comedian, their social commentary led to “KJ” standing for Dagoretti. Fresh and untainted, despite being beaten up during the campaign he will speak on his Vijana Tugutuke message
Farming Systems Kenya: They work with 20,000 farmers including the Kesses Farmers Marketing Federation, and have revolutionalized small-scale farming by harnessing the power of collective bargaining. By organizing farmers into marketing federations the federations have doubled produce prices for members while dropping input prices (esp. fertilizer and seed) considerably.
Irwin Chen: Expert on new media publishing
Reginald Ihejiahi (Nigeria): Managing director and CEO of Fidelity Bank, and a serious financial operator, he will speak of the importance of merging and supporting art and literature and how words can affect a nation’s thinking.
Professor MK Musaazi (Uganda): An inventor with real practical solutions to African problems. Professor Musaazi was recently advisor to the TV programme Schools Shape Up, where a number of his workable solutions to homegrown issues are viewed in action. He will discuss inventions and their practical applications.
Onesmo Ole Moi Yoi (Kenya): World famous bio genetecist and scientist with a simple, but radical way of thinking different.
Rafique Keshavjee: Visionary entrusted with creating the Aga Khan University in Arusha and Nairobi on the creation of entrepreneurial spirit and the way to move Kenya towards self sufficient income generation.
George Gachara (Kenya): A young student who set up an sms distress line in the early days of the violence, which received nearly 2000 messages in a week. George’s work led to him advising mediation on youth attitude and issues. He will reflect on the post election violence.
Rob Burnet: Established the Kuona Trust visual artist studios, workshops and public art projects at Kenya’s National Museum in the 1990’s. From 2000-2006 was the Ford Foundation’s program officer for Media, Arts and Culture in Eastern Africa. After a stint as a visiting research fellow at the University of Reading. he now works with Mediae, the producers of the TV series Makutano Junction and a number of other influential public communications projects.
Joyce Nyairo is Program Officer Media, Arts and Culture at the Ford Foundation Office for Eastern Africa, a Senior Lecturer in the Department of Literature, Theatre & Film Studies, Moi University and Literary Editor for the African Writers Series of Heinemann Publishers. She is widely published in leading international journals on the subject of African Popular Culture and Literature.
Ishmael Beah (Sierra Leone): His memoir, A Long Way Gone, that tells of his time as a child soldier has sold close to a million copies. He is a UNICEF ambassador and is working on a novel
Caroline Mutoko: Kenya’s foremost radio DJ, who is credited with being part of the glue that held the country together in January during the post election conflict
John Sibi-Okumu: A member of the Editorial Board and regular columnist for Awaaz Magazine. He has published Role Play - A Journey into the Kenyan Psyche (Mvule Publications) and will launch, Tom Mboya - Master of Mass Management, a book for children at the Kwani Litfest.
Tony Mochama: A poet and journalist who lives and works in Nairobi. A Law graduate who has a collection of short stories coming out soon titled – ‘The ruins down in Africa’. He has also been called a ‘literary gangster’, from time to rhyme. His collection of poetry, ‘What if I am a literary gangster? in 2007.
Judy Kibinge: Her filmmogaphy includes The Aftermath (2002), Dangerous Affair (Best Production Zanzibar International Film Festival 2003), Bless This Land (Best Documentary Kenya International Film Festival 2006) and most recently Coming of Age (Distinction, Belgian African Film Festival 2008) and The Necklace a (2008). She owns a production house, Seven.
